8 Diagrams

8 Diagrams is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released December 11, 2007 on SRC/Universal Motown Records. The album was released three years after the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard, and six years after the group's previous LP Iron Flag.

Upon its release, 8 Diagrams debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200, and number 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with 68,000 copies sold in the first week It has sold 202,000 copies in the United States as of April 2014. The album received generally favorable reviews from most music critics, and earned greater acclaim than the group's previous album Iron Flag, based on an aggregate score of 73/100 from Metacritic.

Background

8 Diagrams marks the group's first full collaboration since the death of original member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004. The album's title is derived from the kung fu film The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter. The Clan, which had not released an album since 2001's Iron Flag, signed a one-album deal with Steve Rifkind's SRC Records in December 2006. The group's four previous albums were all released on Rifkind's now-defunct Loud Records.

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan /ˈwuːtæŋklæn/ is an American hip hop group from New York City, originally composed of East Coast rappers RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Ol' Dirty Bastard. The group was formed in and is associated with the New York City borough of Staten Island.

The Wu-Tang Clan has released seven gold and platinum studio albums with worldwide sales of more than 40 million albums, including members' solo projects, since 1992. Its debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is considered to be one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history and it is said to have been groundbreaking for hip-hop and one of the most important albums of the hip-hop golden age.

The Wu-Tang Clan has introduced and launched the careers of a number of affiliated artists and groups, often collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees and it has been mentioned to be one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all-time. In 2008, About.com ranked them the No. 1 greatest hip hop group of all time". Kris Ex of Rolling Stone called Wu-Tang Clan "the best rap group ever". In 2004, NME hailed them as one of the most influential groups of the last ten years.

Diagram

A diagram is a symbolic representation of information according to some visualization technique. Diagrams have been used since ancient times, but became more prevalent during the Enlightenment. Sometimes, the technique uses a three-dimensional visualization which is then projected onto a two-dimensional surface. The word graph is sometimes used as a synonym for diagram.

Overview

The term diagram in its commonly used sense can have a general or specific meaning:

In science the term is used in both ways. For example Anderson (1997) stated more generally: "diagrams are pictorial, yet abstract, representations of information, and maps, line graphs, bar charts, engineering blueprints, and architects' sketches are all examples of diagrams, whereas photographs and video are not". On the other hand Lowe (1993) defined diagrams as specifically "abstract graphic portrayals of the subject matter they represent".

Clan

A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a symbol of the clan's unity. When this "ancestor" is non-human, it is referred to as a totem, which is frequently an animal. The word clan is derived from clann meaning children or progeny but not family in the Irish language and Scottish Gaelic languages. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word was introduced into English around the year 1425 as a label for the nature of the Scottish Highlands society. Clans in indigenous societies are likely to be exogamous, meaning that their members cannot marry one another. Clans preceded more centralized forms of community organization and government; they are located in every country. Members may identify with a coat of arms or other symbol to show they are an independent clan.

The Heart Gently Weeps

"The Heart Gently Weeps" is the first single from the 2007 album 8 Diagrams by the Wu-Tang Clan. The song features a sample of The Beatles' song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". It features guest appearances from three other musicians: R&B singer Erykah Badu sings the song's chorus; Dhani Harrison, son of Beatles member George Harrison, plays acoustic guitar; and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is featured on lead guitar. This song was made using a cover version of the George Harrison song played by the blues guitarist Jimmy Ponder.

Out of respect for George Harrison, RZA, who produced this song, asked Harrison's son Dhani to play rhythm guitar. It was played using a mint condition Gretsch guitar from 1961 which was given to RZA as a gift from Russell Crowe after they had finished filming American Gangster.

The song was #50 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

Chart position

References

External links